Ingestive behavior, performance and forage intake by beef heifers on tropical pasture systems

Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia

Rocha, Marta Gomes da¹  Biscaíno, Ludmila Leonardi¹  Santos, Felipe Asconavieta dos¹  Silva, José Henrique Souza da¹  Pötter, Luciana¹  Oliveira Neto, Renato Alves de¹  Sichonany, Maria José de Oliveira¹  Difante, Marcos Vinicios Beck¹ 

[1] Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

关键词: chromic oxide;    Cynodon dactylon;    feeding station;    Urochloa plantaginea    Introduction The inclusion of warm-season grasses as summer pastures for beef heifers to be mated at 18 months of age is necessary to make the feeding system viable;    providing nutritional support to these animals;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1516-35982013000800003

学科分类：兽医学

来源: Universidade Federal de Vicosa

【 摘 要 】

The experiment was carried out to evaluate forage intake, performance and ingestive behavior of beef heifers. Productive, structural and chemical characteristics of the pasture were also evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, with three pasture systems (Alexandergrass [Urochloa plantaginea Link.] with and without supplement to heifers and Coastcross [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]) and two phenological stages: vegetative and flowering. The grazing method was put-and-take stocking. Grazing, ruminating and idle activities, feeding stations, displacement patterns, bite mass and bite rate were evaluated. The forage intake was estimated using chromic oxide as an indicator of fecal output. The heifers modified the use of feeding stations and displacement patterns between phenological stages and pasture systems. Heifers consumed more forage in the vegetative stage (2.81% of body weight in dry matter) than in the flowering stage (1.92% of body weight in dry matter). Average daily gain, body condition and stocking rate were similar for heifers in the evaluated systems. Beef heifers receiving protein supplement on Alexandergrass pasture consumed more forage than heifers fed Coastcross exclusively. Regardless of the species, no difference was observed when the heifers were exclusively on pasture. Pasture systems on Alexandergrass or Coastcross provide suitable nutrient intake for heifers to be mated at 18 months of age.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC